Automatic coupler for mine cars



Mmh 19, 1940.

c. G. HUMPHREYS 2,194,455

AUTOMATIC COUPLER FOR MINE CARS Filed May 22, 1939 WITNESS I (kl/11kATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 19, 1940 sUNITED STATES AUTOMATIC COUPLER FORMINE oAas Church G. Humphreys, Volant, Pa. Application May 22, 1939,Serial No. 275,043 2 claims, (01. 21e--17s) This invention relates tocouplers for mine cars and the like and has for its principal object toprovide a simple yetpractical and efiicient coupler which may be readilyapplied to any ordinary car used in mining, excavating, grading andother operations, which is'automatically placed in coupling condition,normally latched in such condition and manually releasable at the willof the operator.

The invention consists in the novel general structure and in theparticular parts and com binations and arrangements of parts thereof ashereinafter described and set forth in the appended claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing illustrating a practicaladaptation of the invention, in which- ,Figure l is atop plan view ofthe fragmentary meeting end portions of. two mining cars with thecoupler oi the present invention applied thereto and in couplingcondition;

Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinalsection showing the coupling relation of the parts in full lines andother positions of certain parts in-broken lines; and i I Figure 3 is aview, on asmallerscale, showing ,a fragmentary portion of one car withthe elements of the coupling carried thereby in end elevation;

Referring nowto the drawing, the numeral l designates a draft extensionor platform of one car and 2 a smilar extension of the adjoining car,they respective extensions being either directly from the-floor or endsill of the car body, or, obviously, from a suitable portion of theunderiraming or the truck on-which the body is mounted, Bolted; as at 3,to the draft extension' 1 is a bracketincluding a longitudinal bodyplate 4 anda cross member 5 the end portions of which are bolted to thedraft extensionl, as at '6, said cross member having an upwardly offsetintermediate portion l' straddling said longitu tudinal body portion LA.clevis 8 has a shank portion 9 fitted slidably between the raisedportion lof the cross member v5 and the adjacent underlying portion ofthe body plate {1, said shank portion being swiveled on a bolt or pivotstud iii inserted. through alined apertures in'the plate f1,

cross member portion 1 and the shank, the bolt or stud. it! beingprovided with a retaining nut l impinging 'said'cross' member portion 1.Preferably, the-shank 9 of the clevis is of rectangular criiss sectionand of a widthsomewhat less than. that of the distance between-thevertical side ,walls of the raised intermediate portion l of the crossmember 5 whereby ample space is provided -face of the draft extension ,2to its inner end lifted from its engaging relation to thelug H]. j

to permit considerable though limited; swinging I n'iovement of theclevis on its pivot Iii.

Mounted on the clevis 8 to swing laterally therewith but havingindependent verticallyswinging and limited endwise movement thereon is acoupling link it. As shown, the link I2 is formed with an enlargedcircular main body portion it and an integral reduced and'substantiallyrectangular bail-like hinge extension i i, the outer transverse part l5of which is circular in cross section and. located in a longitudinallyelongated opening It provided in the clevis 8, by which provision thelink is swingable vertically on the. clevis and capable of limitedendwise movement in the opening it. At opposite sides of the clevis 5, 13 the arms of the bail-like extension it are formed r with integralguide flanges or'collars H which prevent independent lateral movement ofthe clevis 8 and link it. The link i2 is slidably supported on atransverse bearing plate ill which is ,20 extended across the top of thedraft extension I at the forward end thereof. a

The thickness of the bearing plate l8 and the relative position of theslotted opening I6 of the clevis (5 above the top of the draft extensionl is such that the coupling link i2 is normally maintained in ahorizontal position at. an ample elevation to readily pass over the topof the adjoining draft extension it of the car to be coupled. Located onthe draft extension?! at the ,30 outerv end thereof and in alinementwith the longitudinal axis of the assembled coupler elements on thedraft extension i, is an upstanding 'cou- U draftextension 2, as at 2!.The topof the lug i9 is beveled, being. inclined continuously upwardlyand rearwardly from its forward 1 end which is coincident with the planeof the top ,40 which is in a plane considerably higher than that of thetop of the extension 2. By this form and arrangement of'the lug it! thecoupling of the two cars is automatically effected as they are broughttogether, because the rounded en- '45 'largement E3 of the link itengages the inclined top face of the lug l9, rides upwardly thereoverand drops behind-the. lug and thereby prevents separation of the coupledcars until the link'l zis Partially surrounding the .lug $9, at opposite,sides and" rearwardly thereof, v are upstanding arcuate guide members23, said members 23, as

coupling lug I9, aspecial latch element 23 is provided. As shown, thislatch element is formed of a single rod section or piece of heavy wirewhich is peculiarly formed by being bent first into sub- 'stantiallyU-shape, producing parallel horizontal elongated leg portions 21 whichare connected by a straight cross member 28, said leg portions 21 beingrebent at an acute angle, as at 29, and formed with eyes 36 at theirextreme ends by which the latch member is pivotally mounted as willpresently more fully appear.

The support for the latch element 25, as shown, includes a removablerectangular block 3| which is fitted. between the upper portions of sideplates 32 of a channeled standard 33 having base flanges 34 which arebolted, as at 35, on top of the draft extension 2 some distance inwardfrom the coupling lug [9. The open vertical side of the standard 33 isdisposed toward the coupling lug I9 and the bottom end opening of thestandard is in communication with a longitudinally elongated slot 36provided in the draft extension 2 and extending from the rear verticalwall of the standard to the inner end of the draft lug l9 (see Figure2); The'removable supporting block 3!, which, in addition to affording apart of the support for the latch element 25, is in effect a body fillerand cross support for the upper portions of the side plates 32 of thestandard 33 and is held in place by a pivot bolt 31 for the latchelement 26 and a supplemental tie bolt 38, the latter being insertedonly through registered apertures in the side plates 32 and the block 3!and directly clamping the side plates to the block, while the bolt 31 issomewhat. longer than the bolt 38 to hingedly receive thereon, outsidethe side plates 32, the eye portions 30 of the angular portions 29 ofthe latch element.

The block 31 terminates with its. lower end in a plane slightly abovethatof the inner end of the coupling lug I9 and its inner vertical sideis spaced from the inner vertical wall of the standard 33, the verticalspacing providing a slideway for a latch-operator 33 comprising a bodyshank of rectangular cross section and having a right' angular footextension M1 at its lower end, said extension being normally positioned.within the slot 36' of the draft extension 2 with its forwardendcontiguous to the inner end of the coupling lug IS. The shank portion39 is provided with a horizontal lug M which is projected through avertical. slot provided therefor in the adjacent inner wall portion of.the standard.

In the normal loweredv position of the latchoperator saidi lug H restson the edge portion of the inner wall of the standard 33 at the bottomof the vertical slot provided in said wall, in which position of.thelatch-operator the. intermediate. cross member of the'latch elementrests on said, lug 4! so that the parallel leg portions 2110f. thelatchelement straddling the standard 33 are. ina horizontalplane andtherebent angular portions 29 of the latch element are inclined between thepivot bolt or stud 37 and the inner end'of. the coupling lug l3 at thesame angle and flush with the inclined top face of said lug l9.

In this connection, it is noted that while due to the proportionateleverage and weight of the intermediate portion of the latch elementrearward of the pivotal axis of the latch element the latter isgravitated to the normal position shown in full lines in Figure 2, thecoupling link I2 is much heavier than the overbalancing poflion of saidlatch element wherebyfwhen the coupling link l2 moves upwardly on thecoupling lug l9 and onto the forward portion of said latch ele-' ment,said forward portion swings downwardly.

under the weight of the coupling link so that the ring portion l3 of thelink'drops to a horizontal position as shown in full lines in Figure 2and surrounds the coupling lug l9, whereupon the latch element isrestored to its normal position with its. forward end portion.overhanging the ring portion 13 of the coupling link I2 and prevventsthe swinging of the coupling link out of engaging relation to saidcoupling lug l9 until such time that the latch-operator 39 is lifted toswing the latch element out of the wayand simultaneously liftthecoup-ling link I 2 sufiicienta 1y for the ring portion i3 of the linkto clear the top of the coupling lug I9.

The lifting'of the latch-operator 39 is efiected" by means of a crankarm 42 having a pivotal link connection 43 with the upper end portion ofthe body shank of said latch-operator, said crank arm 42 being anintegral extension of a shaft M operator in its upward movement firstcauses 7 a: downward swinging movement of the forward j I portion of thelatch element 25 before the f'oot portion of the operator moves intoengagementwith the ring portion 13 of the coupling link, due to thedirect engagement of the trans verse intermediate portion 28.0fthe latcheIement' with the lug of the body shank of, the j latch operator, therelative proportions of the parts and the spacing therebetween beingsuch that the forward portion of the latch elementis .t

swung downwardly and rearwardly clear of, the

ring, portion it of the'coupling', link I 2 so that the continued upwardmovement of the latch-opera tor 39 with the ioot'porti'on 43 engagingunder the ring portion l3 of the link. l2 raises the link swingably onthe olevis 8"to an elevation where it is clear. of the inner end portionof the cou pling lug i9 sufficient to permit the separation oi" thecars.

drop to its normal. position, whereupon thelatch element movestherewithv to its normal position. While the structure hereinillustrated and de- .After the cars have been thus un. coupled thelatch-operator 39 is permittedto.

scribed is a practical embodiment ofv the invention. it is obvious thatconsiderable modification may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention as. defined in the appended claims. Theinvention, therefore, .is. not limited to the specific construction andarrangement I shown.

Whatv is, claimed. is:

1. In a car coupling ofjthecharacter described;

mounted at its inner end portion on the one draft extension withprovision for unlimited vertical swinging movement but limited. lateralswinging movement and also with limited endin combination with meetingdraft extensions of.

two cars to'be coupled, a coupling link pivotally I wise movement, meanson said draft extension.

for slidably supporting said coupling link sub-- stantially horizontallyin a plane above the top of the draft extension, an upstanding couplinglug rigidly secured on the other draft extension adjacent the outer endthereof and in alinement with the normal longitudinal axis of thecoupling link'on said first mentioned draft extension, said coupling lughaving a topface inclining upwardly and rearwardly from a planecoincident with the top of said other draft extension to a higher planeat the inner end of the lug, forwardly flared link-guiding members atopposite sides of said coupling lug, a longitudinally alined standard ofchannel section secured on said other draft extension inwardly from saidcoupling lug, the open side of the standard being disposed toward thecoupling lug, a latch element comprising a single rod section bentintermediate its ends into a form substantially U-shaped to straddle thestandard, thence rebent at an acute angle at the ends of the legs of theU-shaped portion and formed with eyes at the extreme ends of theelement, a pivot bolt mounted on said standard transversely thereof onwhich the eye portions of the latch ele- I ment are rotatably mounted, alatch-operator slidably mounted for vertical movement on said standard,said latch-operator having a forwardly extending foot portion normallypositioned in an opening in said other draft extension and in ahorizontal plane below the top of said extension, said foot portionterminating coincident with a vertical plane adjacent the inner end ofsaid coupling lug whereby to underlie the coupling link when the latteris in coupled relation to said coupling lug, said latch-operator havinga lateral lug at an elevation above said foot portion thereof fornormally supporting the intermediate portion of the latch element incorrelation to the pivotal support of said element with the cornerportions where the element is rebent inclinedly located contiguous tothe upper inner end portion of said coupling lug, and manuallyoperable'means for lifting said latch-operator to move the forwardportion of the latch element downwardly and rearwardly on its pivot outof the range of the coupling link in the coupled relation of the link tosaid coupling lug and to lift the link clear of a coupling link hingedlymounted at its rear portion on said clevis whereby to swing laterallywith the clevis but to swing vertically about a horizontal axisindependently of the clevis, said link having a circular forward bodyportion, means fixed on the draft extension forward of theclevissupporting bracket and on which the coupling link isnormallysupported substantially horizontally but slidably so as to swinglaterally with theclevis in a plane above the top of the draftextension, an upstanding coupling lug on the other draft extensionadjacent the outer end thereof and in alinement with the normallongitudinal axis of the clevis and attached coupling link on saidfirst-mentioned draft extension, said coupling lug having an inclinedlongitudinal top face, upstanding forwardly flared guide memberspartially surrounding said coupling lug in spaced relation thereto atopposite sides and rearwardly thereof, a latch element hingedely mountedon a support inwardly from said coupling lug and having a downwardlyswingable forwardly extended body portion normally spanning thespacebetween its support and the lug with its forward end portioncontiguous to the upper inner end portion of the lug and being heldagainst bodily movement upward from its normal position, said forwardlyextended body portion of the latch element being overbalanced anddepressed by the weight of the coupling link moving thereon from theinclined top face of the coupling lug and into coupled relation to thelug, and means for manually actuating the latch element to move itsforwardly extended body portion downwardly out of the range of thecoupling link in the coupled relation of the link to the coupling lugand lifting the link to clear the lug during such movement of the latchelement.

CHURCH G. HUMIPHREYS.

